Electric sign.



1-H. STARK & M. S. HAHWELL.

ELECTRIC SIGN. APPLICATIONIILED "345.1916.

1,227,686 Patented May 29, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- aq a, R estdr'k;"Mws'ybawwelt J. R, STARK 6:. M S. HARWELL.

ELEQTRIC SIGN.

APPUCATJON FILED APR/25,1916.

1,227,686. Patented May 29,1917.

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\ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented my 29,1917.

Appllatlon filed April 25, 1916. ierial No. 98,470.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN R. STAnKand Meant S. HAnwnLL, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson andState'of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improveinentsin Electric Signs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful im rovenients in signs and moreparticular y' tb electrically lighted signs in which light bulbsincluded in ii -number of inde pendent circuits are provided'and inwhich a oire it breaker is arranged to interm ttently flipen .and' closethe various circuits so that a portion of the lights flash on at onetiihe, are later extinguished and replaced by other lights, the lightsbeing of different colors when desired.

One ofjthe primary objects of our inven tion consists in the provisionof avsign of the above character possessing the added at.-

traction of a movable figure which is also preferably illuminated bycertain lights.

In this connection and in'this particular instance, we have providedasign including av female figure supported upon a sw ng which is drivenby suitable gearing forming a ortion of our invention and ave rovi ed anumber of lights of difl'erent co ors within the figure in orderthat thefigure. which is formed of trans arent or transl'u A still furtherobject of the invention l consists in the provision of a novel form ofmechanical movein'ent'for actuating thelfigure supporting swing.

Other and incidental ob ects will appear roceed's and in the drawingswherein we liave' illustrated the preferred embodiment of the inventionand wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

Figure 1 lSlt front elevation of a sign constructed in accordance withour invention a portion of the frame of the sign being broken away tomore clearly illustrate certuindetails, I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the means foractuating the figure supporting swing,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing gstruction an or' any number ofcolorsmay be e "nected either in ,i

1 1 l .a- Q one wiring method which may be employed in illuminating oursign.

Our invention, in its preferred form, includes a supporting frame 10which carries the swing 11 supporting the illuminedi'figure 12 and whichalso supports tl e sign proper" 13 which in the present instance, isconstructed in the form of an arch. The supporting frame 10 is in theformvof an in verted U the sides 14 and t0p'15 of which may beconstructed of wood, sheet metal, or other suitable material paintedupon the outside with any desired color or colors or otherwise suitablyornamented. This frame is of hollow construction and its front walls areprovided with electric ltghtreceiving sockets in which are mounted amoi'ter series of electric light bulbs 16 and an inner series ofelectriclightbulbs 17,. the bnlbsrof one series being of a diiferentcolor {from those of th e other and the two series extendi iigcompletely around the frame.e,The arch shaped sign (proper 13 is also ofhollow conis provided with a semi-circular series of openings to.receive light bulbs 18 of any desired ,color and with @illwlfflllty' ofopenings through which projectwsockets receiving light bulbs 19 so arranedfias to form the letters of the sign, these light bulbs also beinpreferably of a distinguishing color. Obviously, light bulbs of an colorP rceand each series of bulbs may be of'the same c8101 or may consist ofan assortment of two ..or more colors dependent upon the effect desired.The lower wall 20 of the invertedU- shaped frame 10 is formed adjacenteachof its ends with r'earwardly extending slots 21 through whichproject rods' 22' connected at their lower ends to the seat 23 of theswing and the figure 12 isse'ated upon this swing and secured againstaccidental displacement therefrom in any suitable manner, The rods 22are swingingly supported within the top celluloid in order thatitslcostume may be" illumined and colored: fronflig ht bulbs inclosedwithin the figure. An number of light bulbs of anydesired coor or colorsmay be,inclosed within thefigure and conependent circuits or in certainof the circuits including the bulbs 16, 17,18, and 19 "In fll: presentfigure, we

10o of theframe in a manner which will be later .-w in.g as a whole l .2Any suitable or have illustrated lightbulbs 24, 25, and 2 6 of differentcolors each 'inacircult independent formed uponthe upper ends of theswing rods 22,- the rods being swingi-ngly connected. to the brackets.by means ofxpms 29. As ameans'for oscillating the swing, -we provide an'electric motor 30 or other suitable source of" power which is preferablymounted at any convenient point .within the frame and about the shaftofwhich istrained a,belt or chain 31 which is also trained about a pulleyor sprocket'wheel 32 fixed upon a shaft 33" extendin longitudinally ofthe upper member 15 o the frame 10 and journaled in suitable bearings 34located within the frame. The free end of this shaft carries a disk 35having an eccentric pin 36 and a crank arm 37 is swingingly connected atone end to the 'pin 36 and atits other end to a laterally directedarm 38extending from tho'ad'ac'ent swin rod 22,i the arm -38 being fmova 1ethe s ot 39 of a guide plate 40 mounted within the frame member .Fromthe foregoing description,.i.t W111 be apparent that when the motor 30is driven, the shaft-.33

.will be'revolved and will act through the crank arm 3T to, impart anoscillatory movement to the swing rods and so to. the

-- form of controlling mechanism for'opening and closing the circuits maand we do not wish to be imitedf'to any specificarrangementl However, inorder to nsure a clear understanding of our lnven-Q .ti on we haveillustrated onesystem diagrammatically in Fig. 3. In'this figure, weshow a metallic drum ll-rotatablewlth a shaft 42 driven by a' belt 43passed about a pulley l l upon the shaft. The belt may be trained abouta pulley mounted upon the shaft of the motor 30 orv may receive powerfrom any suitable sourcer The peripheral face offth'e drum"4r1'is-pr'ovided with a 'crmering' {$5 of insulating material such as "fiberor vulvanized rubher and-this coverin I atsuitabl'e intervals" is cutaway 'tore; celvej contact str1psj46, l7, and 48 which extendperipherally of the drum- 4 -In-the present instance5 these'strlp'sareshown as "each extending through substantially onethirdofthecircumfereneeof the drum and in staggeredrelcti'on thereabou't sothat cooperatir f contact brushes-4G9, 50 andiil or;

ranged namel to each other and engaging strips. A suitable lightindesired arrangement of. =circuits. for the various series of lights'pre- -viously described, as well as any preferred be provided theperiphery of the drum will be succes-- sively engaged by theirrespective contact 7 current is supplied to the drum by a con uctor 52leading from any Suitable source of electrical energy such use dynamo 53to a brush 54 engaglng one end of the drum, and circuits areintermittently completed through the drum and contact strips and back'tothe dynamo by way of the conductors 55 5'6, and 57. In thepresent-instance, we have assumed that allof; the bulbs constituting theouter series 16 about the frame of the sign are included in the wire 55and also that the bulb 24 within the figure is included in this wire. 30In like manner, We have assumed that all of the bulbs 17constituting-the inner series. of lights about the framear'e-included inthe wire 56 as well as the bulb 25 within the;

figure. In like manner, all of the bulbs 18/ 5 and 19 constituting thesign-proper are.in-- eluded in the wire 57 together with theremainingbulb 26 of the figure. In the diagram,'how'ever, we have only shown twoor three of the bulbs of each series asconnected in a circuit for thesake of simplicity. I I y In operation assuming that the motor 39 isdriven and that power is imparted either from this motor or from anothersuitable may be employed in connection with the sign, we do not limitourselves to such specific details but reserve the right-to make anychanges within the, scope ofthe appended "claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claimand desire to secureby Let-' tors Patent is: g 1

1. In a sign,- a' sign frame of hollow construction, a, shaft mountedfor rotation within the frame, means for driving the shaft, rodsswingingly supported by .the

frameand extending between the side portions thereof, a swim seatconhectingthe .ro'dsymeans coacting etween th' shaft and" 'one of therods for oscillating such rodand consequently the swing seat, and afigure supported upon the swing seat, aid figure being of non-opaque.material army he illuminedby light bulb hereby it disposed .therewithin.I A a sign frame of h. llow fcon- 2. In a sign,

struction, a shaft mounted for rotation within the frame, means fordriving the shaft, rods swingingly supported by the ,frame and extendingbetween the 'sideporno tions thereof, a swin sent connecting the rods,means enacting etween the shaft and one of the rods for oscillating suchrod and consequently the swing' seat, and a nonopaque figure supportedupon the swing seat, saidffigure being costumed and its costume being ofnon'opaque material, and light bulbs of different colors mounted withinthe fi 'ure in independent circuits whereby the gi-ure may he variouslylighted to give its ctistume different colors.

3 In a sign,- a sign burly including an openfrat'ne, lamps on the frame,rods depending through slots in the top of the energizing the lamps inthe figure,means for 23 energizing the lumps on the frame, and meansacting on one of the rods to oscillate the seat and figure.

In testimony whereof we alfix our signatures.

JOHN R. STARK. [LS-1 MEADE I-IARWELL. [14-5.]

